In a move that surprised very, very few people, former Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine announced on social media that he is officially transferring to Texas Tech.
Romaine, a 6-foot-2 junior from Hillsboro, Missouri, spent the last three seasons under Chris Klieman in Manhattan. He’s frequented All-Big 12 lists over the past two seasons and helped anchor K-State’s stingy defense.
“The past month has given me a lot of time to reflect with my family on my journey at Kansas State,” Romaine said in a post. “When I arrived in Manhattan, I had no idea it would shape me – the work put in, the lessons learned, and the pride I felt wearing purple.”
He went on to thank his teammates, coaches, supporters, and most of all, former Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman.
During his three-year career with the Wildcats, the Missouri native recorded 184 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, and four pass breakups. Interestingly enough, the lone interception came against his new team, when the Red Raiders came to Manhattan to take on Kansas State this fall.
For Texas Tech, this move makes perfect sense. Jacob Rodriguez is headed to the NFL after finishing out his career in Lubbock, and a sideline-to-sideline linebacker capable of wrecking games is a must anytime you have the chance to add one. An underrated recruit in the Class of 2023, Romaine’s lone Power Conference offer came from the Wildcats, where he developed into a star. Now, Romaine is listed as the 161st-ranked player in the transfer portal and the 11th-best available linebacker in the country.
